Getting Rejected After an Interview Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

As one of North Houston’s top employment agencies, Kingwood Personnel knows that words like these can certainly sting, especially when you thought you were a shoo-in for the job. But instead of getting down on yourself – or depressed and bitter – you can use the experience to your advantage. Here’s how to learn from your rejection and improve during your next interview:

Take some time to reflect.

Unfortunately, most hiring managers don’t delve into the details, offering feedback on areas where you need to improve. It’s up to you to figure that out. So take some time to reflect and think about mistakes you made or questions you would have answered differently. If your nerves got the best of you, then before your next interview, ask a friend or family member to conduct a mock interview so you can practice your skills.

Do take feedback to heart.

If you’re one of the lucky ones and do receive specific feedback from the hiring manager, don’t get defensive. Instead, take their advice to heart so you can avoid the same mistakes in future job interviews. You’ll be a much stronger candidate for it.

Grieve…then get over it.

It’s easy to say that you shouldn’t take job rejection personally. However, it’s upsetting, no matter how experienced and confident you are. And it’s ok to grieve about the lost opportunity, for a short time. But after a couple of days, let it go. Don’t dwell on your disappointment for too long or what might have been. If you do, it could impact your future performance at interviews.

Don’t lose perspective.

Getting rejected for a job interview can certainly feel like the end of the world. But in reality, it’s simply part of the process. In other words, every job candidate – no matter how capable and confident – has been rejected in the past and many more will be turned down for an opportunity in the future. This is simply a part of the search process that you have to get through to find the job that’s right for you. When you realize and embrace this, it will help to build up your resiliency.

Keep up your search.

In the future, don’t fixate on a particular opportunity. Even if it’s your dream job and you think you’re the perfect fit, you never know what could happen. Instead, until you have a written offer in hand, continue your search and don’t think too much about any one job. That way, if you get bad news, it won’t be as upsetting and you’ll still have other possibilities you’re working on.